


The Rescue Blues

by rilina



Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: Between Seasons/Series, Female Protagonist, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-18
Updated: 2008-09-18
Packaged: 2017-10-03 14:49:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rilina/pseuds/rilina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sally is always trying to fix people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Rescue Blues

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Edonohana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edonohana/gifts), [genarti](https://archiveofourown.org/users/genarti/gifts).



> Takes place just before and just after _Endless Waltz,_ so please expect spoilers accordingly. For edonohana and genarti. It's been a while since I watched the series now, so I hope I have not gotten too many details wrong.

I.

"Your problem," Noin tells Sally, "is that you're always trying to fix people."

"No," says Sally. "My problem is that I'm surrounded by so many fixer-uppers."

They are holed up in a rundown apartment in Baltimore, engaged in another routine surveillance operation for the Preventers. Their work has proved to be even more dull that Sally feared; she wonders sometimes if such missions are Une's revenge for their various run-ins during the war. Frankly, it's enough to make Sally miss the bad old days of the Alliance and OZ, when she got to climb into mobile suits and blow stuff up. She suspects Noin feels the same way, which would explain why their conversation has so quickly descended to inanities.

"Well, I suppose you could put it that way."

Sally glances at her laptop screen; there's still no activity from the bugs they planted in the house across the street nine hours ago. "I do have medical training, you remember. Can I be blamed for wanting to dole out therapy and drugs to those who would so clearly benefit from it?"

"By which you mean the Gundam pilots."

"Among others. Those boys. They're such children."

"And you're such a mother hen, Sally. They're really not that much younger than us, when you think about it. And whatever their ages, they're still veterans."

"With all the emotional and psychological scars that come from being soldiers. And now they've ended up God knows where--did I hear that Barton ran off to join the circus?--and are doing who knows what. It won't end well. I'll bet you a million dollars."

"I'm sure they'll turn up again."

"Like bad pennies."

"Well, I encourage you to keep working on those side projects of yours. At the very least, it will provide entertainment for the rest of us. You have picked the five most hopeless cases in the universe."

"Not true! You're forgetting our dear colonel."

"Promise me you'll let me know when you're going to suggest therapy to Lady Une," Noin says laughing. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Don't hold your breath. I have a healthy sense of self-preservation, unlike others I could name."

"And what about me, Dr. Po? Am I one of your oblivious reclamation projects?"

Sally shakes her head. "You're not a project, Noin. You're my partner."

* * *

II.

When Sally hears that Zechs is the newest Preventer under Une's command, her first reaction is to roll her eyes at his miraculous reappearance. Her second is to brace herself for the inevitable. She's not a bit surprised when Noin unceremoniously disappears. And there's nothing she can do about it but hope that her low opinion of OZ's former masked man turns out to be off the mark.

(She doesn't expect it will. She is a rather good judge of character.)

She thinks of intelligent women who love unworthy men, of child soldiers with dead gazes, of how the universe has nearly gone to hell in a handbasket for the second time in as many years. And despite everything, she still can't resist the challenge of trying to make one part of her world a little less broken.

"Just follow my lead these first couple of missions," she tells Wufei as she preps their Preventer shuttle for launch. "You'll get the hang of things quickly."

As she expects, he scoffs at great length at the idea of needing her guidance. "So don't treat me like a rookie," he concludes, scowling.

She manages to hide her grin. Unbeknownst to Wu Fei, today's rant is a good minute shorter than yesterday's. She expects to pare it down to thirty seconds flat by the time their first assignment is complete. Once that's accomplished, she'll work on convincing him of the benefits of modern psychiatry.

"Whatever you say, partner," she replies. His scowl fades a bit, and he stops grumbling long enough for her to get their shuttle off the ground in peace. If she was keeping a file on his progress, she'd make a triumphant note.

Maybe the second time around will be the charm after all. And if it's not, at least it won't be for want of someone trying.


End file.
